Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre has been following the situation for Ukrainian Roma refugees across Europe since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine through our connections with European and International NGOs and Human Rights bodies.
In March 2022, Pavee Point became aware of Ukrainian Roma families seeking refuge in Ireland. Although we are not a service provider, we identified a need to respond, on a humanitarian basis, during this time of crisis. Since then we have linked with Ukrainian Roma families, State agencies and all relevant stakeholders where needed.
The purpose of this report is to give an overview of the work of Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre (‘Pavee Point’), over the last three years, with Ukrainian Roma seeking refuge in Ireland, as well as the key human rights issues brought to our attention during this time.
It also documents how Pavee Point has worked collaboratively with organisations in the National Roma Network, the Ukraine Civil Society Forum, as well as relevant State Departments and Agencies to address the additional barriers facing Ukrainian Roma and improve access to supports and services.
Given that the National Ukraine Response does not gather data on the basis of ethnicity, we do not know the exact number of Ukrainian Roma who have come to Ireland over the last three years. However, since we established a national phoneline for Ukrainian Roma refugees in October 2022, we have supported 181 cases, involving 837 people (469 adults and 368 children). We are conscious that the cases brought forward to us represent a small portion of the lived experiences of Ukrainian Roma seeking protection, but these cases serve to highlight their complex, and specific needs, particularly in terms of racism, discrimination, social and health inequalities.
Summary of Ukrainian Phoneline Data
| Number of Cases: | 81 |
| Number of People Supported: | 837 people
(469 adults and 368 children) |
| Number of Temporary Protection Cases: | 44 |
| Number of Cases Referred to IHREC for legal support | 12 |
| Number resolved Temporary Protection Cases
(initially refused) following support: |
24 |
| Number of Queries regarding accommodation | 42 |
“We would like to acknowledge everyone who supported the development of this report and who has worked respectfully and collaboratively with us over the last three years. Through partnership we’ve worked to ensure that the rights of Ukrainian Roma were promoted and protected at a time of great uncertainty and upheaval for many Roma families seeking protection in Ireland,” Lynsey Kavanagh, Co-Director, Pavee Point.
The report highlights the importance of a strong Roma infrastructure underpinned by community development in order to respond to key issues collectively. We will continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure the implementation of the key recommendations made in the report, keeping a spotlight on the specific needs of Ukrainian Roma refugees.